CONDUCTOR Richard Howarth picks up the Westmorland Orchestra baton for a Bohemia and Shakespeare inspired concert.

Staged at the Lakes Leisure Kendal’s Westmorland Hall on Saturday, May 17 (7.30pm), the concert opens with Mendelssohn’s Overture, A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

The Cello Concerto by the French composer Saint-Saens follows on. Soloist will be Hannah Roberts (pictured), one of the outstanding cellists of her generation.

As a young musician she won many awards, making her concerto debut aged 16 at London’s Royal Festival Hall, and in the years since she has appeared in performance with many leading orchestras. She is currently principal cellist with the Manchester Camerata, an active chamber musician and soloist, and an internationally respected teacher at Manchester’s Royal Northern College.

Concluding the first half of the concert, the orchestra plays the tone poem, Vltava from Smetana’s set of six, Ma Vlast (My Country) the composer’s tribute to the great river that flowed through his homeland, Bohemia (as it was then).

The second half reconnects with Bohemia, as Dvorak, a near contemporary, also expressed his love of homeland through music, and his Czech Suite.

The Westmorland - led by Edwin Schreiber - brings the evening to a tremendous tuneful finish with Ravel’s Bolero, the music made famous during Torvil and Dean’s ice skating triumph in the 1984 Winter Olympics.

Box office 01539-729702 or at the door.